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GYL 20 


Bulletin No, 20 aay 1 RIGHTON 


April, 1921. 


COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA 


DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS 
James F, Woodward, Secretary 


BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
George H. Ashley, State Geologist 


PENNSYLVANIA IRON ORES 
By 
J. Ross Corbin 


Kinds of ore, Maes Cites hematites, brovm-ores, carbonates, 
- and bog-ores have been succes sfully mined 2§ iron-ores in Pennsyl-- 
vania, These, although of widely different origin, oecur within 
well-defined. districts or areas. The longest dimensions of some of 
these areas sre approximately parallel. 


Océurrence,. Magnetite occurs at Durjam, Vera Cruz, Ritten- 
house Gap, Boyertown, Fritz Islend, Cornwall, ‘Dillsburg and at other 
places southwestward to near Fairfield, Adams County. In the mein 
these ores represent » replacement of dime stones ndjacent to igneous 
intrusions, but the ores of the first three localities may have had 
ao very different origin, 


_ imonitic ores occur southeast of the magnetite belt in or near 
the limestones of Lancaster County, and southwestward through York 
(City) and Conewago. Part of the limonite ‘belt in the limestone 
yoelt extends from Easton through Bethlehem; Allentown, Alburtis, 
Muhlenberg, Lebanon, Hummelstown, Carlisle, Shippensburg, Chambers- 
burg and Waynesboro, These ores apparently represent concentrations 
of iron originally deposited in overlying sedimentary rocks, 


cad 


Hematites occur in detached ereas in the South Mountains and in 
narrow but very continuous outcrops in the Clinton and Oriskany for- 
‘mations, extending from Orbisonia and Fort Littleton northeastward 
to Selinsgrove and Lewisburg. These latter ores, following. the fold- 
ing of the rocks, extend in zigzog lines throughout the Juniata 

: region. 


Forming another belt to the northwest, extending from New Enter- 
prise through Henrietta and Williamsburg to State College, is another 
limestone valley with its accompanying ores. At State College this 


4 


ity 


hay Weiee ¥ 


ade 


| 


Avy 


limestone forms two large branches extending northeasterly, one to 
Mackeyville, the other to Woodward, 


In the southwestern portion of the State and occurring as 
nodules in beds of shale in the conl measures or 28 a thin bed just 
on top of the Vanport or "ferriferous" limestone are ores ‘called 
voriously "siderite," "spathie iron ore,” "clay ironstone," "argill- 
a eous iron ore," etc. On the outcrop of this bed the action of 
WwW athering has converted this carbonate ore into a brown ore, oY 
limonite, 


In the northwestern part of the State, particularly in the Alle- 
gheny Valley, occur locally important bog-iron ores. 
First Forge. Beginning with the Pool Forge in 1716, numerous 
"forges" wore built in Pennsylvania, Charcoal was used for fuel, 
Successful operations were then established where ore, timber and 
water poweriexisted together, Later, changes in processes, fuel and 
ore supplies, eliminnted 211 smelteries, (or as now called "blast 
furnaces") except those in commercially strategic localities. 


Sondi tion .of industry; Wo one doubts but that the present stag- 
gation is merely temporary, ong that with a stabilization of gon- 
ditions in general must come a stabilization of production in*v&kich 
the iron and. steel industries are very basic factors. The opening, 
by American corpordticns, of foreign ore-deposits totalling billions 
of toys indicates that the large producers have no fear of lack of 
future: opportunities, 


Is any iron ore left. in Pennsylvania? The Survey believes there 
1s. The early iron founders took the ore most easily available, 
unconsciously following a definite economic law, arge modern 
plants demand large deposits; but "merchant cre" is still salable in 
sm2li quantities. large deposits snd tonnages with long hauls 
fostered economical methods, The Lake Superior ores would not be 
what they are‘if mining methods head not progressed, Pennsylvanies 
ore, if mined, must compete in price snd quelity with outside ores. 
FPor’various reasons the magnetites seem to offer the best field for 
Gevelopments of the immediate future. These will therefore be the 
first of the iron cores to be investigated. The other types will 
Similerly be taken up in the order of their merit. 


Published reports. The First and Second Pennsylvania Geologi-~ 
cal Surveys and the Commission Survey published reports on the iron 
resources of the State, which, whiic helpful at the time, “re now 
out-of-date because of the advances of commerce and science; also 
they have been out of print for many years. More recently the United 
States Geological Survey hes purlished various builetins relsting to 
certain restricted localities in Pennsylvanin. All of these reports 
are available in many of the’pvblic libraries throughout the State. 
In addition to the foregoing, articles heave appeared from time to 
time in the technical press relating tc the many phases of Pennsyl- 
vania resources, 


: The lists given below name the principal reports written on the 
3ron ores of Pennsylvania. 


i 
re) 
‘ 


Digitized by the Internet Archive — 
in 2022 with funding from 
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 


httos://archive.org/details/oennsylvaniaironOOcorb ~ 


The following reports published by the Sccond Pennsylvanie Ssvr- 
vey ean be obtained only from second-hand book denlers or consulted 
in librsries: 


Ircn Ore Belts, York and Adams counties C 

Magnetic and Micaceous Ore Relts of York, Adams, : 
Cumberland ané Franklin counties Ce 

Geology of Lancaster County CS 

Iron intustry of Chester County C4 

Brown Hematite Ore Ranges of Lehigh County D1 

Brown Hematite Deposits of the Siluro-Cambrian 

_ simestoncs of Lehigh County De 

Limestone Belt snd Iron ore mines of Lehigh 

_ and Northampton counties DS; Vol. I. 

ilagnetic Iron ore mines of Bers County DS, Vol. II, 

Possil Iron Ore Beds of Middle Pennsylvania B 

Iron ores of Cumberlané Vailey 7 MS 

Ifon Furnaces of Bedford County Te 

Troma ingubtry of Center County T4 

Irga cres, genesis of D4. 

[ron ores, mining methods T4 


Iron ore mines, Cumberland and Lebanon 
Valle ys Ann, Rep. 1886 p, 4 
Cornwall ore mines Ann. Hep. 1996 


the following publications of the U. S. Geological Survey eam be 
obteined from the Supt. of Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D, C., at the prices tmmed. (Send only Money Orders): 


#conomic geology of the Kittanning and Rural Valley quadrangles 
DULa cna s., Us5.G, 5... Puddetin- No, 279 ‘50 cents 

Brown Iron Ore near Dillsbureg, York County, Pe., Harder, F.C. 
Ui eae buat. Oya soo Mp e6Os255 60 ecnts 

fron Ores of the United States. Hayes, o, W., 


| Weeds Cobden anton a4 40 cents 
Magnetite Deposits of Cornwall type in Pennsylvania. Spencer, A,C. 
per Gs.5 kos VANOe Soo. 20084) $2.90 
Jauss Iron Mine, Dillsburg, Pa. Spencer, A. C, 
U.5.G.5. Bull, No, 430 pp. 247-249 60 cents 
Geology of Mercersturg-Chambersburg quadrangles, Stose, G. W., 


1T i 


oa 
U.S.G,5, Folio No. 170 5 cents. 


since the foregoing was written a great deal of information hes 
been collected by ficlai work conuncted by the present Pennsylvania 
Geological Survey. in process oF vublication is a preliminery 


velume on iron ores and mevliods of their formetion. Owing to circum- 
stances beyond our control the dite at which this will be ready for 
distribution is indefinite. The interested pvblic ere urged to 
correspond with the State Geologist for information concerning 
Specific localities, deposits, or minerals, 


Second edition June 22, 1922. 
ba Ne nn 


Hn 


0112 077640818 


